After posting the NBA’s best record (52-20) in 2020/21, the Jazz entered the ’21/22 season with championship aspirations and came out of the gate strong, winning 28 of their first 38 games.
In the second half of the season, however, injuries, inconsistently, and a frequently recurring inability to hold fourth-quarter leads plagued the Jazz, who went just 21-23 after their impressive start and failed to hit their stride in the postseason, falling in six games to Dallas in the first round.
It was a familiar script for Utah. The team has finished at least 14 games above .500 for six consecutive seasons but never won more than a single playoff series in any one of those years. The latest postseason exit will lead to more scrutiny than ever for the Jazz’s core, particularly since longtime head coach Quin Snyder stepped down from his role several weeks after the season ended, citing a desire to move on.
While the Jazz may be focused on their head coaching search for the time being, it’s safe to assume they’re also thinking long and hard about the extent to which the roster needs to be overhauled. It will be fascinating to see just how aggressive CEO Danny Ainge and general manager Justin Zanik decide to be this offseason.
The Jazz’s Offseason Plan:
Dating back at least to the time they both contracted COVID-19 in March 2020, there have been reports of tension between Jazz All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. Although Mitchell and Gobert have repeatedly insisted publicly that there are no issues beyond occasional moments of ordinary on-court frustration, those whispers have persisted, leading to speculation that Utah will eventually break up the star duo.
Multiple reports so far this offseason have suggested the Jazz are shutting down inquiries on Mitchell, but appear more open to the idea of moving Gobert. If that’s true, it makes some sense. As terrific a rim protector as Gobert is – and he’s currently the NBA’s best – his impact on offense is limited and his game-changing defensive ability can be negated to some extent when Utah faces a five-out look.
The Jazz can live with those limitations, but doing so would be easier if Gobert wasn’t set to earn nearly $170MM over the next four years. The club would likely prefer to build a more flexible defense made up of several versatile, switchable players. Having a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate at the rim to back up those players would be ideal, but Gobert’s massive contract complicates the front office’s ability to acquire them — using him as a trade chip may be the best solution to diversify the roster.
Finding a suitable trade for Gobert won’t be easy. Other teams will be wary of his outsized cap hit and the things he can’t do on the court, so it may not be realistic for the Jazz to expect a massive return, especially since they’ll want players who can make an immediate impact, rather than prospects and draft picks. Teams with interest in trading for Gobert won’t be looking to give up multiple impact two-way players for him.
As they consider potential deals this offseason, the Jazz’s front office will likely have the Raptors on speed dial. Toronto has a hole at center and has several talented two-way wings and forwards on its roster, including Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby, and Gary Trent Jr. — the Raptors won’t necessarily be willing to discuss all of those players (Barnes, certainly, isn’t going anywhere), but their abundance of starting-caliber forwards makes them an intriguing potential trade partner from Utah’s perspective.
Chicago has also been cited as a possible suitor for Gobert, but any deal between the Jazz and Bulls may hinge on how the two teams view former No. 4 overall pick Patrick Williams. The Bulls would have to be more willing to give him up than they were at the 2022 trade deadline, and the Jazz would have to like him enough to make him the centerpiece of a package for Gobert. I’m skeptical of the latter in particular.
The Jazz aren’t lacking in alternative trade candidates if they don’t find a Gobert deal they like. Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson, Royce O’Neale, and Rudy Gay, among others, should all be available if the price is right.
Still, Utah will have to keep its expectations in check for what those veterans could realistically return — they’re solid rotation players and their contracts are reasonable enough, but they’re not major trade assets. None of them is going to be bring back two or three above-average rotation players like Gobert theoretically could. Any deals involving guys from this group would be more about swapping one veteran for another, creating a different look to the roster.
Of course, no Jazz player would warrant a more significant haul on the trade market than Mitchell, but it appears the organization won’t consider going down that path unless the former Louisville star says he wants out. There has been no indication that will happen this summer.
The Jazz’s ability to sweeten trade offers with draft picks will be limited. They have no selections in this year’s draft and have also traded away their 2024 first-rounder (top-10 protected). They could still trade up to two future first-rounders between 2026-29 as long as that ’24 pick doesn’t fall within its protected range for multiple years, but not every team will be swayed by draft assets so far down the road.
While most of Utah’s rotation players are under contract for 2022/23, some minimum-salary contributors will be free agents, including Hassan Whiteside, Danuel House, and Eric Paschall. If the Jazz can get them back at the minimum or something very close to it, it would make sense to do so, but the team already projects to be in the tax and will be reluctant to invest more heavily than that in players who are essentially eighth or ninth men. If Whiteside, House, or Paschall get offered substantial raises elsewhere, Utah will likely replace them with minimum-salary free agents.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that the ongoing head coaching search represents one of the Jazz’s most important decisions of the offseason. Snyder was among the NBA’s longest-tenured coaches and was respected by his players. With the franchise at a crossroads, finding a Snyder replacement who is capable of coming in and demanding respect while creating stability would go a long way toward making sure the team doesn’t have to fully tear down its roster and start over within the next few years.
Salary Cap Situation
Note: Our salary cap figures are based on the league’s latest projection ($122MM) for 2022/23.
Guaranteed Salary
- Rudy Gobert ($38,172,414)
Donovan Mitchell ($30,351,780)- Mike Conley ($22,680,000)
- Bojan Bogdanovic ($19,550,000)
- Jordan Clarkson ($13,340,000)
- Royce O’Neale ($9,200,000)
- Rudy Gay ($6,184,500)
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker ($5,009,633)
- Udoka Azubuike ($2,174,880)
- Jared Butler ($1,563,518)
- Xavier Sneed (two-way)
- Total: $148,226,725
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Juan Hernangomez ($7,307,130) 1
- Total: $7,307,130
Restricted Free Agents
- Eric Paschall ($2,228,276 qualifying offer / $2,228,276 cap hold): Bird rights
- Trent Forrest ($2,011,516 qualifying offer / $2,011,516 cap hold): Early Bird rights
- Total (cap holds): $4,239,792
Two-Way Free Agents
- None
Draft Picks
- None
Extension-Eligible Players
Note: These are players who are either already eligible for an extension or will become eligible before the 2022/23 season begins.
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker (rookie scale)
- Bojan Bogdanovic (veteran)
- Jordan Clarkson (veteran)
- Juan Hernangomez (veteran)
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Danuel House ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Hassan Whiteside ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $3,623,032
Offseason Cap Outlook
With over $148MM in guaranteed money committed to 10 players, the Jazz are on track to go well beyond the projected luxury tax line of $149MM. It’s possible they could avoid becoming a taxpayer if they make a cost-cutting trade or two, but there’s no realistic scenario in which they open up cap room. For now, we’re counting on them being limited to the taxpayer mid-level exception.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Taxpayer mid-level exception: $6,392,000 2
- Trade exception: $9,774,884
- Trade exception: $1,517,981
- Trade exception: $799,106
- Trade exception: $567,564
Footnotes
- Hernangomez’s salary will become fully guaranteed after June 30.
- This is a projected value. The Jazz could instead have access to the full mid-level exception ($10,349,000) and bi-annual exception ($4,050,000) if they remain below the tax apron.
Salary and cap information from Basketball Insiders and RealGM was used in the creation of this post.
It doesn’t make sense for the Raps to aquire Gobert, it would mess up their cap flexibility.
Winning/contending for titles is worth losing cap flexibility for a season or 2
Yeah, i agree. IMO makes a lot of sense. In order to be a contender you have to build around a true superstar (GSW-DAL-MIL) for example or be a kinda deep team with a top defense (MIA – BOS). It’s almost impossible to get a superstar for TOR, unless you see Scottie as a superstar player in the future. So getting Rudy to boost the defense, they can truly become contenders IMO.
I’m a Utah fan – but would LOVE to see Gobert traded to a team where he can win a championship.
Utah’s approach of high volume, low percentage shooters who are terrible defenders paired with Gobert’s freakishly amazing defense fixing things isn’t going to work. Though Gobert pushes some of the biggest +/- numbers in the league, he cannot make up for 4 other guys not bothering to play D (or Mitchell’s – “everyone I defend looks like an all-star” defense).
If the Jazz are stuck on Mitchell – they should trade Gobert and become the lottery team that the advanced stats say they are when Gobert isn’t on the court. It’s honestly what the team deserves.
Snyder didn’t hold Mitchell accountable – Mitchell’s D has gotten worse each of the last 5 years as players he guards have gone from shooting 50% when he entered the league to 59% last year.
Maybe a new coach would hold him accountable, but more likely Mitchell’s become too much of a Prima Dona to become a success. He reminds me of Dominque Wilkins – a “gonna get mine” player who has no trouble going 1 on 3 in the 4th quarter. His teammates dis-engage when he decides to play hero ball, and the team falls apart. The fact that instead of fixing that the Jazz want to trade the only defense they have suggests the Jazz only care about selling exciting play – not a championship.
I agree that Donovan needs a new coach that can held him accountable and i belive that if they move Rudy he will be forced even more to get better and focus on the defensive end. They can get a couple of good rotation players and some picks for Rudy and move on.
Sadly i belive that Mitchell will be asking for a trade if the Jazz can’t reach playoffs post-Rudy. Of course this is all speculation and i don’t think they are gonna make any major moves this offseason.
Honesty, howboutthat
The memo said, keep Spida, deal Gobert
NUMBER ONE GOAL for the 2022 UTAH Off season:
Lose that STUPID Team Name and Move On To One That Makes Sense !!
Is there some sort of campaign from New Orleans fans to get the Jazz name back? They always come in these comment boards and essentially say the exact same thing, usually in CAPS or something like yelling. Lol
Utah Jazz works as a name mostly because they’re both 4 letters. :)
Find us a name that’s 4 letters and they’ll consider it. Lol
The Utah Salt
I think they should trade Donovan Mitchell for SGA and picks like I’ve said a few times but ultimately I think they will trade Gobert and bring in that Johnny Bryant guy that Donovan wants.
I see them flipping Gobert to the Hornets for Hayward, Plumblee and 3 firsts (picks 13 and 15 this year and a future protected first).
From my mock I’ve then got them selecting Ousmane Deing and Tari Eason.
From there I wouldn’t surprise me to see them also trade Bogi and ONeale.
While also sign a replacement centre in FA like Andre Drummond.
But it would have them line up something like
1. Conley. Clarkson
2. Spida. NAW. Butler
3. Hayward. Deing
4. Eason. Gay. Bogi. O’Neale
5. Drummond. Plumblee
As I’ve said I think SGA and picks would be my preferred option but this wouldn’t be bad either. Build around Spida Deing and Eason. Hayward returns to Utah, Drummond comes over, I think they’d sneak into the play in games but that’s about it.
This year’s team is going to be a work in progress. I’m guessing they’ll do some trades this off-season and some more before the trade deadline.
Trading Gobert is a fundamental shift in philosophy for this team. It’s going to take time to implement the right players to fit the new coach they bring in.
The Jazz never seem to want to do a full rebuild, so we’ll just have to continue to endure these constant retools that haven’t paid off yet. I’m one that likes change every so often. That’s good at least. Hoping for the best! :)